When a studio is confident enough to mock its own practices, it is safe to assume the original product was a success. Available across six different platforms, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim represents the peak of Bethesda Game Studios' storied history of game development. Developed using the Creation Engine and featuring an expansive open world brimming with life, Skyrim set a new standard for the genre. Eventually, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Red Dead Redemption II eclipsed Bethesda's RPG; nevertheless, the studio's accompli🅺shments deserve to be✱ recognized.
Recently, Bethesda has come under quite a bit of flak for , a buggy RPG lacking much in the way of redeeming factors. In hindsight, Skyrim might prove to be the only worthwhile Bethesda Game Studios project published during this particular decade. Despite coming out in 2011, the studio's annual re-releases and modding community has kept Skyrim in the public eye.
Putting aside all the amazing mods capable of transforming the base package, Bethesda's RPG is packed with an overwhelming amount of content. Even though the main quest line can be completed relatively quickly, Skyrim's side content inflates the playtime into the hundreds. Unlike most other RPGs that use filler quests as a brief distraction or a way to grind levels, Skyrim's world-building is chiefly restricted to these missions. Whether comedic or dramatic in nature, Tamriel is worth expl♉oring to uncover every little detail.
Taking into account Skyrim's age and player base, every quest has been identified. However, some can only be triggered when a gamer travels off the beaten path. Here are 25 epic Skyrim side quests casual fans never found!
24 ও Always Know Who Cooked The Food
When it comes to Skyrim, joining a faction is half the fun! The Dark Brotherhood consists of highly trained hitmen, and one of the group's central goals is to undermine the social hierarchy governing Tamriel. As the 🤪Dragonborn's ninth assignment, Astrid tasks the player with infiltrating Emperor Titus Mede II's household and plant a little surprise in the powerful ruler's food.
Activating 🍒this quest requires the Dragonborn to have earned the trust of the Dark Brotherhood, but the mission is well worth the effort. Agent 47 is not the only person who can impersonate a chef!
23 💎 Rise In The East ꦏ
Why walk when there is the option to sail? Contrasted with more recent RPGs, Skyrim's age is naturally starting to show. Modders have worked tirelessly to ensure Bethesda's magnum opus preserves its visual splendor, but Skyrim s🧸eldom prioritizes a cinematic perspective over a practical one.
Bethesda's titles aim to immerse players into their expansive worlds, therefore, the games tend to avoid presenting anything too dynamic. is an exception. Seeking to stop a group of pirates, the East Empire Company hire the Dragonborn to put a stop to their treacherous❀ ways. Obviously, this involves a trip on a sailing boat.
22 𝐆 The Book Of Love
In order to be awarded the Blessing of Mara, an ability that buffs healing spells, players must complete Dinya Balu's quest to help two pairs of lovers. Visit Riften's Temple of Mara and speak to the priestess to activate quest, which will require the Dragonborn to visit Ivarstead, Markarth, and Gjukar's Monum🍬ent.
Dealing with a young couple who seek to elope, the quest's first half is on the forgettable side; however, things pick up greatly after the protagonist is sent to Markarth. While the final reward is nothing too special, this quest packs enough twists and turns to give Romeo and Juliet a run for its money!
21 First Astrid, Thꦫen The Brotherhood!
After completing the Dark Brotherhood's second quest, the hero suddenly finds himself in the unwitting custody of Astrid, the leader of the organization. After being taken to the Abandoned Shack, the player is ta🌜sked with eliminating one of three hostages, a task designed to cement the Dragonborn's allegiance to the Dark Brotherhood. However, one can choose to defy Astrid's expectations!
Rather than picking any of the three prisoners, the blade can be turned onto the faction's leader.
Once the hitwoman is dismissed, Commander Maro orders the protagonist to infiltrate the Dark Brotherhood's stronghold and eradicate some of its most prominent members. Obviously, this path bars access to any othe♏r quest associated with the Dark Brotherhood.
20 Jeepers! This Inn Is Haunted! ♔
Typically, quests triggered seemingly out of nowhere leave the longest lasting impression. In the grand scheme of things, The Ghost of Old Hroldan could easily be missed and Tamriel would be none the wiser;ꦗ nevertheless, t💮his short story contains more personality and intrigue than some of the more extensive questlines.
Located near the Karth 🌸River, Old Hroldan Inn is home to a spooky transparent guest who only emerges at a specific time. After boring the Dragonborn with a history lesson, the innkeeper offers Tiber Septim's room for the night. Eventually, the🀅 protagonist is woken up by the terrified innkeeper, who insists that she has seen a ghost.
19 ♛ The Ebony Warr♔ior
Less of a quest and more of a duel, the ranks among the hardest opponents in Skyrim. Cosplaying as a , the Redguard combatant packs a mean punch 🎃and boasts over 2000 HP. Besides his intimidating appearance, the Ebony Warrior is immune to various spells and shouts꧟, while elemental attacks tend to only hit for half damage.
Simply put, veteran players are the only ones who stand any chance against this enemy. Installed as part of the Dragonborn add-on and requiring players to reach level 80, the Ebony Warrior automat൩ically spawns in one of Tamriel's main cities. Prepare for the worst!
18 Innocence Lost 🦹
One would think Skyrim's inhabitants have better things to do than gossip about children, but that seems to be far from the case. At one point or another, the Dragonborn will overhear a rumor about a "cursed child," which can be expanded upon by an innkeeper. Innocence Lost centers around Aventus Aretino, a boy who ran awayꦏ from an evil🐷 orphanage.
While there are ಌother ways to activate this quest, the most direct route would be to break into the Aretino Residence. Fair warning, this leads to a pretty haunting scene of a teenager practicing the dark arts. Crucially, this quest leads directly to the Dark Brotherhood's storyline.
17 💖 One For The Road
Due to its brisk nat🍸ure and lack of a distinctive marker, this particular stands among the easiest to miss. Tamriel is littered with people seeking to employ the hero as their personal errand boy. If an N෴PC can talk, it is safe to assume they want something out of the Dragonborn.
Spread across the map, there are seven men offering friendship in exchange for a drink.
As long as a beverage is held in the ⛄inventory, gamers are presented with the possibility to share their wealth with the inebriated individuals. As a tha♛nk you, the recipients occasionally bestow the player with a gift.
16 Forbidden Legend ෴
During High King Harald's reign, there lived a powerful conjurer named . While the mage was revered a🍌cross 🎐the land, Gauldur's three sons lacked their father's wisdom or benevolence. Determining an amulet to be the source of Gauldur's power, the children eliminated their parent and used the jewelry's magic to spread terror across the land.
After defeating the three sons, High King Harald forbid their names to be mentioned or written in the history books. Requiring players to traverse across the entire map, Forbidden Legend expands upon this part of Skyrim's lore. Read the Lost Legen🐟ds book to activate the quest.
15 Who Called The Exterminator? 🧸
Now, in all fairness, is hardly a hidden quest. As long as someone pledged their allegiance to The Companions faction, they are bound to 🉐have accepted a couple of these hunts. Among the♛ more straightforward missions, Animal Extermination asks the hero to defeat an animal that has infiltrated a cave or a house.
Due to the target and location being selected at random, this operation tends to invariably incorporate a certain degree of uniqueness. Once the Dragonborn add-on is purchased and installedღ, Animal Extermination even sends play🌃ers to , the setting added by the DLC. An exterminator's work is never done!